Jeremy Corbyn has been overwhelmingly elected as leader of the Labour party. Scotland was already skiting along on the ice road to independence, through the cold Tory winter, but Corbyn’s victory puts it on a jet ski. Independence here we come. You might think, if you were a semi-literate Labour MSP, that the Jezzajism of British politics would restore the fortunes of the Labour party in Scotland, and his victory would be the best thing to happen to that sorry branch office since John McTernan said he was flitting to Australia. Sadly, you’d be as mistaken as a McTernan, and that’s pretty mistaken indeed.
Jeremy Corbyn has given hope to thousands of people on the left in England, and in Scotland we must welcome anything that drags Labour out of its hellish cohabitation with neo-conservatism, privatisation, and the creeping criminalisation of protest. Over the past few decades, Labour has sought power by adopting the rhetoric and politics of the right, so when it has gained power all it has done is disappoint and betray because there was little or nothing to distinguish it from the bogeymen it claimed to be protecting us from. As the party’s rightward drift continued, it turned into those bogeymen that Labour was founded to fight against.
The other week Gordie Broon was citing Keir Hardie, the founder of Labour, as his greatest hero. Keir would not return the sentiment, if he came back from the dead his first act would be to denounce the Labour leadership as fellow travellers with the Tories who have traduced the aims of the party he founded, and then he would expel those who’ve accepted seats in the House of Lords – starting with the chancer who styles himself the Baron of Cumnock.
For the Labour leadership, the party’s socialist past is precisely that, the past. It is useful as a rallying cry, especially during periods in opposition. The leadership has treated it as an incontinent old relative who has been safely consigned to a care home. Jeremy victory brings it back dribbling all over the expensive rugs that have been paid for on expenses. The magnitude of the Blairite defeat isn’t merely a slap in the face for Tony, who invested so much time and effort in pleading for Anyone But Corbyn without even demanding a speaker’s fee, it’s an almighty punch in the gob that sends him reeling ever closer to The Hague. The result the weapon of mass destruction of the vanities of Blair. At least in the Labour party. Blairism remains alive and kicking in the Tory cabinet.
But as Corbyn’s supporters have pointed out, winning the leadership was the easy bit. The really difficult task has only begun. And it’s starting on a party whose foundations have more cracks than a china shop after a visitation by bulls celebrating a Greek wedding. The Parliamentary Party has received the news of Corbyn’s victory with as much welcome as a papal blessing in an Orange lodge. Already significant numbers of the shadow cabinet and Labour’s front bench have refused to serve in the shadow corbynet. They’re the sort of politicians who believe that it’s not them who are wrong, it’s the voters and if they had their way they’d elect a new electorate. But they are a powerful force ranged against any possibility of serious change within Labour. Whether the party can survive is very much in doubt.
The divisions within Labour contrast with a media which is uniformly hostile. The UK press has even less intention of giving Corbyn a fair hearing than they had of the case for Scottish independence. He’s going to be monstered and misrepresented by mealy mouthed mendacious mediocrities, who’ll claim that their hmms are balanced reporting. Because of course the media is fair and only an anti-democratic wannabe dictator would think of criticising the spawn of Rupert Murdoch and the Barclay twins. Jeremy’s voice will be drowned out while his critics are given free rein.
Faced with all this, there is little realistic chance that Labour will remain united and will make substantial inroads into a voting population which will find itself subject to a fear campaign which will make Project Fear seem like run down ghost train at the end of a pier. It’s going to be relentless and unforgiving. The mildest of proposals will be hysterically blown out of proportion and stripped of context. And it won’t stop. The stakes are too high.
The British establishment could survive the loss of Scotland. Losing Scotland would be a massive blow to their prestige, to their entitlement, to their pockets, but the establishment would still reign over all except the rebellious Scots who refused to be crushed. But the British establishment can’t survive the success of the Corbyn project, he threatens the end to their privilege and preference. That’s precisely why they will conspire to ensure that he fails. Renationalising key industries threatens the bank balances of the rich, scrapping Trident threatens the power hungry dreams of the establishment.
Already the Tories are talking in the language of threats to national security. Because in their world national security is the same as the security of the very rich and the very powerful. The security of the poor and the marginalised is of no account. When the government refers to the main opposition party in such terms, when it describes the opposition in apocalypic terms as an enemy of the state, then democracy is no longer safe.
Scotland watches and waits. If it becomes clear that the British state will not allow the Corbyn project to succeed, if he can’t restore his battered party’s fortunes, then we can only conclude that there is nothing in this state for us. And that’s before we look at what he offers Scotland – a man who has already said that there shouldn’t be another independence referendum and that there should be no further devolution of tax powers. The British state is drifting further away from Scotland with every day and every soundbite from hysterical Tory MPs.
When it becomes apparent that the UK is looking at Tory governments for the foreseeable future, Scotland will not walk to independence, it will run. The Jezzajism is the political earthquake that will shake Scotland loose.
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[…] The Jezzajism and the earthquake that shakes Scotland loose […]
I think you’ve nailed it Paul. Never mind that Mr Corbyn is a fully paid up member of the UK project, or indeed that we’ve already heard his views on Scottish politics and the constitutional issue, his greatest enemies are to be found much closer to home. The poor fella is looking at being on the receiving end of the kind of political and media abuse normally reserved for us vile separatists or Alicsammin. Hell, a fair chunk of that pooh will originate from within his own party.
I could be way off, (I don’t think I am though), but I doubt Mr Corbyn or the Labour party will be in any shape to challenge for No.10 in 2020 and probably not even 2025. So long as DC and his successor have near total control of an ever right wing media and panders to the voters in those crucial marginals, the Conservatives look set to remain in power for at least a decade or more.
I suspect Mr Corbyn is several decades too late to save Labour from itself, though I hope his contribution plants the seeds of a future progressive party in England that lays the Blairite Labour spectre finally to rest.
Great post Dug and I agree with every sentence. The result of this “contest” shows clearly what the ordinary member thinks when the three candidates opposing Corbyns could muster only 40% of the votes between them.
Labour now though are doomed as a political party, Labour no more!
I both agree (as I invariably do with you, dug) and yet am also not so sure … Don’t wannabe naive about the corporate/media/blue’n’red tories’ machine being unleashed but their power is not infinite. Tho’ I wouldn’t normally trot (pun intended) out long dead philosophers, I believe one of Marx’s maxims holds true. By its nature capitalism digs its own grave.
I concur that Labour seem incapable of reform and that Jez and those who’ve supported him will probably be denied power by the might of Project Fear times a hundred but these newly awakened forces (I mean the left) are not going away and have some of the means to make a difference (social media especially).
The parable of the wind and the sun trying to get someone to take off their coat? The harder the right blows the more the coat stays on. Just look at Blair’s interventions – the more he blew, the stronger Corbyn grew.
The more vicious and sustained the Daily Mail attacks, the less credibility they risk having and thereby the more potent the opposition can become.
To my mind, it will all be about alliances and people power – how far can we all go – us in Scotland and the new upsurges elsewhere? The independence we seek should not be from similar struggles in rUK.
It probably won’t be enough but you never know…
Goodness, I had forgotten the sun and wind tale!
You are absolutely spot on Paul . It has been more than interesting to watch the MSM frothing in exactly the same manner as it frothed over Alex Salmond and the referendum. Not to mention ” Corbynistas” ” naïve” ” communists” “idiots” ” require heart transplants” and the rest levelled at his supporters.
As for the other three , it was like being offered a gooey cream cake with no nutritional value ,when all you wanted was a Scotch pie .
I like the ” threat to national security ” now being plied , they must be scared stiff of the Trident vote not going their way.
Reblogged this on pictishbeastie.
[…] Source: The Jezzajism and the earthquake that shakes Scotland loose […]
The only hope for Corbyn is for a massive grassroots campaign to kick off in England. With the huge mandate and backing by so many people, the early signs look good. Our quasi-fascist state that poses as a democracy is powerful indeed (how many companies control the UK mainstream media? – not many I reckon – in the USA, the number is six). However, as the ongoing movement for independence has demonstrated, this can be effectively neutralized by social media and armies of dedicated volunteers willing to chap on the doors. However, it does help a lot (if not crucially) to have big beasts, popular charismatic leaders like Salmond and Sturgeon as figureheads who punch hard and keep the momentum going, and I don’t think Corbyn fits the bill in this respect. It may fizzle out, but who knows? – he has surprised us thus far.
What really gets me is the two facedness of Dugdale and Murray.
Both sneered at Corbyn and his prospects of becoming leader during the run up but now want to pretend it’s all sweetness and light?
I hope enough people in Scotland see this duplicity for what it is. Sadly however, as 12 months ago showed, there’s none so blind as cannae see.
Any Nicola in the news today talking Indyref 2.
Lead on…
Its not exactly a secret that there is no such animal as a ‘Scottish Labour’ party, I’d suspect that Kezia’s position is untenable at the moment. Ms Dugdale did come out with some quite public statements against a Corbyn leadership in the campaign and now she now finds herself as minder of the branch office directly accountable to Mr Corbyn.
Her only advantage at the moment is that Mr Corbyn’s hands are going to be a wee bit full, sorting the wheat from the chaff and putting together a supportive shadow cabinet willing to follow his lead. Well, that and keeping his head on permaswivel. Corbyn is in for a long hard fight tackling enemies both from within and without the party. That won’t be much of a breathing space however for our northern branch manager. Eventually in his attempt to reshape Labour, Corbyn will be paying the branch office a visit and having a pointed chat about the importance of ‘management structure’, chain of command…. that kinna thing.
Ah but, macart, who is going to be the northern branch manager? I know it should be Kezia, but Neil Findlay seems to be Corbyn’s man in Scotland!
Don’t think it matters much who has the ear of Mr Corbyn in Scotland TL. In fact I doubt it would matter if the current leadership were to take the path of some of their southern peers and step down from their positions in favour of more Corbyn friendly support. Their stock is so low, their party before populace ideology so entrenched that nothing much would change for the people.
True socialists put people before party, the common weal is far older than and comes before any party dogma, politics, career and self. Its about caring for the societal well being of all. Corbyn has a bit of that about him, but refuses to recognise any system but the UKs as a means of delivering that kind of society. He is either ignorant of the nature of the union partnership or worse, is determined to ignore it in favour of his vision of ‘One Nation’ society/socialism (TM Conservatives/Labour/BT etc).
I hope his tenure sparks something within England’s beleaguered progressive left electorate, but the odds don’t look too good at the moment and frankly the thinking and work of the Scottish electorate are over a decade ahead on the path. Their best bet and the best aid we can provide, is to finish the job we started.
“I hope his tenure sparks something within England’s beleaguered progressive left electorate,” Me tae, but I doubt it.
I suspect they are all, especially Corbyn, susceptible to ‘Corbynite’ [the rare jewel and question of ‘Scottish Independence’]. Hold it close to them, or the mere mention of it and their power simply melts away.
Yeah, you probably shouldn’t have called it a “jism” though – that’s a different thing entirely. A Corbyclism. I’d have gone with that. My nan wouldn’t have been on the phone asking with that.
Yep.Corbyn will be squashed like a fly by the British establishment.This will engender further antipathy among Scots to that establishment.It will crystallise the choice between Independence or a generation of tory rule.Corbyns victory may spark a wee rally behind Labour/No in Scotland,but his destruction will lead to a further,bigger,movement to Yes.
Your first paragraph says it all mealer.
I agree.
So you’re now willing a left-wing leadership to fail because it might benefit Scotland? Nationalism is being increasingly shown up for what it is: the most backward, the most degenerate, the most right-wing of all politics. But with centuries of history behind us we should have known this from the beginning, of course.
Though with phrases like “the shadow corbynet,” I have a feeling that this blog is put out by somebody who works for the Sun newspaper…
If Corbyn is brought down,it won’t be by Scottish nationalists.It will be by the British establishment.
mealer, exactly.
Corbyn, like Tony Benn before him, is a British nationalist.
Seems if you scratch a Labourite there it is, that or they are internationalists who do not seem to see the irony in that.
Yawn – same old Better Together mantra – Scottish nationalism is a very, very baaaaad thing. Any other nation’s nationalism is different from Scottish nationalism but Scottish nationalism is unique in all the world as being a bad thing for the nation in question and will lead to the downfall of civilisation as we know it.
French, Dutch, Italian or Greek nationalism is fine.
German nationalism is fine. What a sterling job, BTW, Germany is doing in showing the world the gold standard on refugee treatment. THis truth is very hard for BRITnats to swallow. Britnats people a fictional world, coloured by the BBC & Nicholas Witchall, where WW1 & WW2 play on a continual loop, and Britain is run by the benevolent ruling class which inhabit Downton Abbey.
British nationalism (or American nationalism) isn’t nationalism at all, to you tychy. Oh no. Not one bit of it. Your ‘nationalism’ metamorphs into something called ‘Homeland Security’ by yankee nationalists and just plain old ‘Security’ by Britnats like yourself.
This need for ‘Security’ then gives the Yankee nationalists and British nationalists the excuse to bomb anyone who they see as a threat to their ‘Security’.
The UN (UNITED NATIONS) should perhaps be disbanded Tychy? After all, the UN clearly personifies the idea of equal nations and promotes the idea of individual ‘nationalism’ and self-determination for all nations throughout the world! The clue is in the title, tychy. Centuries of history led to the UN. Is it just that some nations are more equal than others?
But to come back to your comment’s specifics; to state that the SNP is more right wing than any other party is a ludicrous, perverse, wilfully blind statement.
It is equally perverse of you to echo Carmichael’s smear that the SNP want a Tory Govt!
None so blind as will not see though.
‘Mene, mene, tekel, upharsim’, Tychy, ‘Mene, mene, tekel, upharsim’.
No, I’m against all nationalism. I also think that the United Nations is good for nothing.
So how Tychy is the world to be governed?
I take it you speak just as volubly against British Nationalism which is presently rampant. Oh sorry I forgot we were all to become the poorest nation on earth to look after Granny in Liverpool, the self same Gran who cares not a jot about us, and how does the country who has been made so poor by it’s governing next door neighbour do that?
I doubt that given we have tried the one more heave as per the Labour Party more times in my getting on in years lifetime.
Mr Corbyn, who it seems cares only to keep Scotland onside for his and his countrymen’s benefit will do nothing for us, like so many other Labour Leaders whether from the left or the right.
How is the world to be governed? Not by the UN, as I think I’ve indicated.
You don’t seem to have the most basic grasp of the ideas and values of the Left. The resort to nationalism isn’t a sign of strength – it’s simply a sign of defeat and a guarantee of future defeats. It’s trading away socialist ideas for the filth and scum of the right-wing.
And what have you traded away these progressive ideas for? The fantasy – the delusion! – that you don’t have anything in common with somebody in Liverpool. Any Scottish city and Liverpool belong in virtually identical neoliberal nations, where the people speak the same language, share the same culture, and face the same struggles. We are not – however strenuously you might wish the delusion to persist – Serbs and Kosovans.And shame on you for thinking that we might be.
This is what I mean by nationalism being a degenerate ideology.
That argument also applies to Dublin and Cork. I’ve got as much in common with someone in Limerick as I do with someone in Birmingham. Sharing a corrupt Westminster parliament doesn’t make social justice more likely.
Ireland was a colony. Scotland and England were together imperialist powers. There is a tremendous cultural difference.
Still, if we go down your road, there is as much difference between Limerick and Birmingham as there is between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Indeed, Edinburgh has much more in common with London, economically and culturally, than it does with Glasgow.
But you implicitly concede that you can only deal with “a corrupt Westminster parliament” by remodelling the UK into a pseudo-tribal system in which people view their identities as a political solution. Remind me again, are you a Serb or a Croat?
If you are going to imply that I’m a supporter of genocide, you’ll be banned. Got it?
This is a hysterical response. Many Serbs and Croats never supported “genocide,” whilst still viewing their identities as a political solution to all of their problems. I’m suggesting that you, or your degenerate ideology, appear to be doing the same.
Right. Fuck off and troll elsewhere. You’re banned.
Great way to close off a debate by calling your opponents degenerates. I have no more in common with people in liverpool as I do with people in canada or america. I am Scottish. I am a wellwisher to democracy but I don’t feel any solidarity with these people. They are not my people. So no I am not going to pretend that I am anything different or apologise for not feeling remotely British. A term when I used it was purely as a collective and geographical pronoun. As a Scot I no longer feel that the union best serves Scotlands interests or its people. What you are talking about is a politics that was eviscerated by Thatcher. The connections you speak of existed through the unions and they no longer hold the power they once did. The steel towns are gone, the ship yards have all but vanished. The manufacturing is much reduced. The solidarity that a ship yard worker on the clyde had with a steelworker in Yorkshire is gone. Thatcher did a lot of damage to your union and new labour did precious little to fix it. So yes I seriously doubt Corbyn can dial it back.
I am Scottish. Not British. My Nation is Scotland not Britain. My Nation is being ill served by a 300yr old union that has long since ceased to have any relevance. So I voted to end it. I am no longer buying the notion of solidarity through union. I no longer going to vote for a party of room meat in exchange for a few scraps from socialisms table. I am sick and tired of my nation paying its way and being painted as a scrounger who lives on handouts. Who started that bullshit? Step into the spotlight UK labour party – the main villain of the piece when it decided to bury the mccrone report.
Consider this – many who voted yes voted labour all their lives. They were born into the working class and worked hard jobs and got precious little recognition for it. When it came down to it – they held the Union up to the cold light of day and decided it was not worth the effort. Labour with its utterly idiotic and needlessly aggressive campaigning pushed these people into an adversarial position. So who on May 7th could best speak to their desires and what they wanted? Labour? Labour declared itself for union and walked about arm in arm with the tories with big smiles on their faces as they mocked anyone who wanted something else. These people who labour maligned so needlessly, left a party they had voted for probably all their lives and switched to the SNP. A party that prior to this had never commanded more than a 1/5th of the vote earning them 6 seats. From 6 seats to 56 and labours 50 year hold on Scotland was swept away. The ultimate achievement for Better together was make British politics increasingly irrelevant in scotland. You think one man can change that? And you see we are the ones trading progressive ideas for fantasy? We all remember Johann Lamonts “something for nothing” speech. We all remember them voting against free school meals in Scotland. We all remember Jackie baillie lying about how safe the NHS was. The arrival of one left wing MP as your UK party boss is not going to wipe away the shit stain that is Scottish labour.
I suspect our visitor latterly came here only to see how many times they could get away with calling folks degenerates before being deservedly skelped.
dang – i had built up a good head of steam on that post as well ;o)
And a very good head of steam it was too. 🙂
I believe it is you and your ideas which are degenereate, Tetchy. Go and live with the other trolls.
Had a look at your blog, boy I thought Rick Stein was a pseudo intellectual, you could give him lessons. I do hope that one day before you die you see what you wish for the world, give me a chance, getting on in years and have been one of those horrible nationalists, you know the kind that make up nations all over the world for most of it. Somehow I think I will see my dream, I seriously doubt you will.
In your dreams, tychy. WGD lights up the day but not with a roll of newspaper.
I don’t see any of these posts willing it to fail at all. What they are saying is what the Brutish Establishment will do to Corbyn and what they have already started to do, as well as the consequences of this for Scotland. This is called discussion. If you can’t take part properly, then don’t come on.
And what is unionism then? Corbyn is as much a unionist as Cameron/Osborne/Johnson etc. See him for what he is regards Scottish independence, dont be fooled. Another westmonster establishment trickster!
Reblogged this on Bampots Utd.
So,a wee question from south of the border. Which do you care about more, political justice or independence ?
Reading this commentary, and Nicolas Sturgeon’s pronouncement today, it’s starting to look like you value independence more.You are prepared to sacrifice common cause with others welfare ( think supporting socialism throughout the country) for the holy goal of independence. That, my friends,is a dangerous road. The reification of a single goal (independence),over all others causes a certain blindness. I counsel caution in your affairs, it’s sounding a bit rabid.
Personally,I don’t think Scotland can have political justice until she has independence.One country being ruled by another can never have political justice.The Tories rule Scotland with only 14% of the vote in Scotland.
For decades the people of Scotland have voted for Labour – fat lot of good it’s done them since England’s much larger electorate call the shots. If England wants a Westminster Tory government it gets one. Better for Scotland to regain independence, establish a left-of-centre government, and set a good example for England and other nations to follow. If that’s rabid then I’m happy to be frothing at the mouth.
Sorry Gus, it’s not Scotland’s fault that England’s voters rejected Labour in May nor that Blairites have now rejected Corbyn. This is a hole only England can dig itself out of. Trouble is, England does not think it is in a hole. It likes being run by the Tories!
After all, there are only 5 million Scots voters to 54 million England voters. 41% of England voted Tory in May whilst only 14% voted Tory in Scotland. Can you see that fundamental difference?
It is only through independence that the people of Scotland can fully employ political justice.
“You are prepared to sacrifice common cause with others welfare ( think supporting socialism throughout the country)”
In what way would independence sacrifice common cause with the people of England? Is the whole point of international socialism to support common cause with others’ welfare regardless of national borders?
Read my reply to Tychy. It ill behoves anyone south of our border to cast any stone.
What can I say? Once again WGD you have got it in a nutshell.
Incidentally, I like the way you incorporated the words from the English National Anthem, i.e.:
Lord, grant that Marshal Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush,
and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush,
God save the King.
It still amazes me to this day that some so-called Scotsmen actually stand and sing this dirge.
I agree with all you say, but I have concerns that there are enough “semi-literate Labour MSPs” and supporters out there to turn enough heads, at least in the short term, to slow down the progress of independence.
We’ll get no help from Corbyn, except indirectly through his political demise, as he is a unionist who would ideally like Scotland to go back to where it was before, unthinkingly voting Labour to support him at Westminster. I’ve already spoken to several who see Corbyn’s election as the beginning of a new Labour party and are talking about supporting him (not the other way round).
My hope is that, when he fails, as he will, he fails before next May, so he doesn’t damage the prospect of independence in my lifetime.
The problem for New Labour in Scotland is that Mr Corbyn is not running for election. The people running for election are the same people who ran on Miliband’s campaign platform – i.e. Tories-light. What do you think people will make of the same people who campaigned against nuclear disarmament suddenly becoming abolitionists, or the people who attacked the SNP’s anti-austerity ideas suddenly saying more or less that they were right all along? People remember things like this.
I think people will consider them to be classic examples of Mhairi Black’s “weather vanes”.
Whichever way the wind blows. 🙂
Well said Paul. ” Corbyn’s election as welcome as a Papal blessing in an orange lodge”. Aye that would appear to be about right.
The man is no gonnae hae is sorrows nor his enemies to seek. As he is about to find out. I reckon that Macart is spot on when he says ” I suspect Mr Corbyn is several decades too late to save Labour from itself:
Then there’s oor branch office manager, oor wee Kez, and the guy who tells lies and is the governor general’s understudy. Complete volte face from the pair o them. Arselickers trying tae keep their ain joabs. Whit will he dae aboot them.
Paul, I see we have oor ain wee concern troll today. Look efter him noo, play nice.
Beyond encouraging more people to think about independence I fail to see how the election of Corbyn at Westminster will do anything to help Scotland.
Let’s look at the reality. Yes, Corbyn is singing from the same anti-austerity, pro-equality song sheet but he has no powers to do anything about it in Scotland.
Instead in Scotland we have a leader of (Not) Labour who was initially deputy to a (Not) Labour right winger and never publicly disagreed with him. She then dissed Corbyn publicly before now pretending she was rooting for him all along. If that’s the case why didn’t she just say when asked on radio 4 who she was voting for?
Sorry, but there you have in Scotland a leader of (Not) Labour who clearly has no principles – one of Tony Benn’s weathervanes as Mhairi Black put it.
Corbyn has clear anti-austerity views – Dugdale has never expressed them; he is opposed to Trident renewal and wants to see unilateral disarmament – Dugdale has never done either. And so on. If she suddenly starts supporting these things she will have little to whinge about at FMQs anymore but who is actually going to believe her volte face?
More to the point how can Corbyn be good for Scotland when he has openly voiced his opposition to any future referendum or even further devolution of tax raising powers? This is the man so passionate in his support for a united and independent Ireland. Sorry, but in my book that is simply hypocrisy and it will bring no benefit to Scotland whatsoever.
Only 3 months ago bookmakers were offering odds of 200-1 against Corbyn winning,and yet commentators on here are predicting general election results in 2020 and even 2025….what minds..what insight!
Not a prediction, an assessment with caveats. IF Mr Corbyn can mend the ideological split in the Labour party. IF Mr Corbyn can circumnavigate a hostile media and IF Mr Corbyn can persuade the vote in currently Conservative held marginals he stands a chance. He has a literal mountain to climb and a job of work simply in overhauling the parliamentary Labour party and safeguarding his own current position.
Insight has nothing to do with it and by the by, some of us support the change Mr Corbyn stands for in the Labour party and were hopeful of his campaign victory. I, for one, hope he can bring Labour back from the brink, but make no mistake this is going to take years of work and electoral success cannot be the driving factor. Service to the electorate, regaining trust through action, not through sound bite, triangulation and dishonesty. Blair’s legacy, Labour’s conduct throughout the referendum, decades of neglect, abuse, corruption and tribal politics have all contributed to an ignominious downfall of what was once a great movement.
He has a lot of work to do and if Labour are smart, they will allow Mr Corbyn to start the process of healing and cleaning. If not, then that assessment may very well turn out to be a prediction.
A great post as always. Thank you.
It will be interesting to see what Corbyn does. He made it clear, in his acceptance speech, where he stands on re-instating Slab – just another British Labour leader. He also complained about the abuse directed at his family and friends by the media but apparently accepted it for his own part – effectively legitimising it. Not a good start.
I am sure that most of the support for Corbyn has come from decent people who reject the undemocratic condition in England. But I am seriously beginning to wonder if the fascist left have formed around him, as someone who they perceive to be a useful idiot who can facilitate their desire to regain their exploitation rights.
Let’s be under no illusions, Labour sold out Scotland (and everyone else they ever claimed to be working for) in the past and given half a chance they will do it again. We need to do everything we can to ensure that they don’t have that chance.
Can’t see Corbyn’s Labour winning in England, as it must in order to set up a Westminster government. Voting for Labour in Scotland is a wasted vote.
Great post, Paul. Good to see the Establishment spinning with fear. Hope Corbyn lasts long enough to understand the importance of independence for Scotland then he can help remove Trident and imprison Blair!
Dear Gus,
Re…
‘ Which do you care about more, political justice or independence ?
Reading this commentary, and Nicola Sturgeon’s pronouncement today, it’s starting to look like you value independence more. You are prepared to sacrifice common cause with others welfare ( think supporting socialism throughout the country) for the holy goal of independence.
That, my friends, is a dangerous road. The reification of a single goal (independence),over all others causes a certain blindness.
I counsel caution in your affairs, it’s sounding a bit rabid.’
In answer…
I have a list, logical, factual, rational and heartfelt… all of which rips the above to shreds, but do you know what, its all been said before, and much more eloquently than I ever could, if you ever should decide to look.
My cousin in Liverpool, her partner was struck down with cancer and TB, as a self employed gardener he was signed off work… well you can imagine how IDS treated that, very much one of the statistics. Worked all his days. He couldn’t walk, other than to the bathroom… no money granted, except, one year later, £20 a week to pay for the oxygen tank to be delivered to the house, and his TB meds for free… the cancer ones he had to pay for, but hey cancers not infectious. So I sent money to help… feed them, more than once, and I’ll do it again. And if the courts fail with that liar Carmichael, I’ll donate to the applicants again, and again and not let them down.
So, ‘sacrifice common cause with others welfare’ …. I think not.
And do you know who was as much, if not more gutted by the no vote than I was? They were, absolutely gutted.
Political Justice for me, and for Scotland IS Independence, but it reaches out much further than that… just ask the Catelonians, or those from Quebec, or the people of Spain who’ve started their own movement, because when one person or group or nation manages to shake off this nonsense it gives hope and inspiration to us all and common decency gets its head.
And there is nothing Rabid about that, rather just a realism that the people who live and breath and work a country, are the ones best qualified to elect its government.
But then, it is entirely possible, you knew all that already;) Isn’t it?
Best wishes to all, especially WGD, article great as always. x
People have to remember that many of those who voted yes – were labour voters. Had been labours voters for all their lives. Had never voted SNP and certainly didn’t vote for it in 2010. I should know – I was one.
When labour lost the plot and drove these people in an adversarial position they lost those votes and quite possibly for good. These voters had a conversation about the union and felt it should end. Party politics did not come into it. They no longer wanted to be ruled by Westminster. Labour has nothing left that can appeal to these folk. It doesn’t speak about the things they care about or the values they hold. One man is not going to turn that around. Certainly not the man who has already declared that he clearly doesn’t understand Scotland either. Left wing perhaps, but still with a tin ear when it comes to his parties appeal north of the border. Corbyn has a lot more to worry about than Scotland – He needs to win over his party and win over England. Watch the entire UK media try to tear this man down, and watch when his popularity surges. But not here. He has nothing to offer or say that could convince people that they can put their trust in labour. I take grim satisfaction from seeing those commentators, pundits and MPs – who had destroyed Scotland’s reputation in the union, literally shit themselves now that Corbyn has won. But will Corbyn suddenly make Scottish labour electable? Short answer is No.
Scottish labour have too long been aping the Tories that their sudden switch to the left is just sickening to see. But its one of the things that drove so many voters away. They have truly not learned a thing about the beating they took or the reasons for it. But with nothing to offer to those who left them over the issue of independence – they really are not going win them back with their new found love of the word “socialism”
It could be that Corbyn will leave the Scottish branch to its fate – when he puts his own stamp of authority on the party, something that Miliband and Murphy utterly failed to do – there is going to be a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth. My opinion is that New labour will do its best to destroy Corbyn – failing that they’ll split off. If that happens then those soft “no” votes who put their faith in labour to be the party of home rule will consider shifting to yes.
So when you hear or see zoomers and unionists declare that we need to move on – those are people who really want to go back in time. They are the ones who can’t move on. They want to lose themselves in that pleasant fiction that the Union was accepted and cherished. The price they paid to try the impossible was the relevance of British politics in Scotland.
This will be a real test for BBC Scotland. There is no place to hide now. Up until now, there has always been that wee, dubious excuse that the BBC relies largely on the (Tory) press to feed stories. Well now, the questions that should be put to Miss Weather Vane, Kezia Dugdale and the other Branch Office workers are so bleedin obvious that if the BBC reporters fail to ask them, even more people will smell a rat. No place to hide now, BBC, time to up your game and do your job properly.
I think that was a great summation Paul of Jeremy and his prospects, the right wing press have yet to start on him with anything like all barrels firing but we noticed this morning the picture of Mr David Miliband working his socks of for International Rescue, but what the president of this charity is doing with his sleeves rolled up is beyond me. We think this is only the start of the Right Wing fight back and the English have yet to see Auntie in full Propaganda mode but they will.
If the establishment can invoke a war on Syria, they can postpone the Indy movement – no criticism of our brave troops/foreign policy don’t you know, not while they’re fighting for queen and country, and that’s quite apart from the money the Carpetbaggers will make out of it.
So, in that respect Corbyn is an absolute thorn in their side, and lang may his lum reek.
Peace to all.
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